GameCube and Wii emulation on Switch just got easier with Tico

The Nintendo Switch is a great console, but it runs on Nintendo’s proprietary OS. While the game collection is great, Switch owners often itch to enjoy titles from older consoles. Those looking to try GameCube or Wii games had to go through the arduous process of installing Switchroot, which brings Android and Linux to the Switch, and then run the Dolphin emulator. A project called “Tico” is changing that with its latest release, allowing classic games to run directly within the Switch’s native environment for the first time.

While the headline-grabbing news is support for GameCube and Wii, Tico is far more than just a standard emulator launcher. It is a custom, multi-platform emulation frontend built from the ground up in native C++ specifically for performance and portability. Tico’s primary goal is to reduce the pain of emulating games on the Switch by directly launching embedded emulator cores with “zero” user configuration.

Tico features a controller-first navigation UI that is designed for handheld and docked controller use. It also features automatic game library management, so you don’t have to worry about meticulously renaming your game ROM files.

The latest Tico v0.7.0 alpha release introduces experimental GameCube and Wii support through the Dolphin emulator core. This is said to be the most demanding core to run on Switch’s Horizon OS to date. The release is therefore marked as alpha, and instability is expected.

The Dolphin core enables boost mode by default, bumping the Switch’s Tegra X1 chip to 1,785 MHz and the GPU to 768 MHz. While these limits are claimed to be safe, it’s still a good idea to monitor your device temperature.

Can you natively play GameCube and Wii games on the Nintendo Switch?

It is important to clarify what “natively” means in this context. With Tico, the games themselves are still being emulated — the Switch hardware is not running GameCube code as if it were a native Switch title. Instead, the term refers to the operating system.

Previously, performance was hampered by the overhead of running an entirely separate OS, such as Android, in the background. With Tico v0.7.0 alpha, the Dolphin core runs directly on the Switch’s native Horizon OS (via Custom Firmware (CFW)). This streamlines the experience, allowing you to launch retro games without rebooting your console into a different OS.

As you might have noticed, you do need a CFW on your Nintendo Switch to run Tico, as it will not run on the Switch’s stock Horizon OS. A CFW allows you to enable features outside of Nintendo’s walled garden, like running homebrew apps, installing custom themes, and more. V1 Switch users can run a CFW via software, but newer V2 and OLED models require hardware modifications to run one.

Once you install a CFW on your Switch (keeping your hardware compatibility in mind), you can download Tico’s latest release from GitHub and install it. You’d also need your GameCube and Wii ROMs, but you’d be all set to enjoy your games right on your Switch without having to install Android or Linux.

The ability to switch between games through a much simpler process and interface makes the Switch a better handheld emulation powerhouse than ever before. Titles like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, FIFA Street 2, and Rayman Origins are reported to work well through Tico. Fingers crossed for even better game compatibility and stability as the project matures.